NITRATE AGAR

Description

Nitrate Agar is prepared in accordance with the formula published in Pure Culture Study of Bacteria of the Society of American Bacteriologist. The ability to reduce nitrate is valuable for differentiating and identifying various types of bacteria especially Enterobacteriaceae family. Non-fermenters and other miscellaneous gram-negative bacilli vary in their ability to reduce nitrates. Some members of this group are capable of denitrification which is the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas. For the glucose fermenting gram-negative bacilli, the production of nitrogen gas from nitrate is an important differential test.